M7.2 earthquake 62 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 62 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu on Thu, Jul 2, 1953, 5:57 PM GMT+11 (06:57 UTC), 236 km (147 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 7.2 (Mw, moment), major
- Magnitude from
- ISC-GEM global catalog
- Local time
- UTC
- 1953-07-02 06:57:00 UTC
- Depth
- 236.2 km (146.8 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.092° S, 169.635° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Strongest shaking
- V, moderate shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Deaths and damage
From NOAA NCEI’s Significant Earthquake Database (record 4023), matched to this event by time and place.
NOAA’s record of this earthquake gives no deaths, injuries or damage.
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- V, moderate shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 4.8% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 1.4 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.40
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 4.2 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem891794. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 4:12 AM UTC.